***

Fairfield Hills Hospital in Newtown has a new 12-passenger van through the efforts and commitment of the auxiliary organization known as the Friends of Fairfield Hills Hospital. The Friends have raised funds from numerous sources in order to purchase this van, a much needed replacement for one they gave to the hospital in 1977.

***

Not long after reading that Legislative council member Kurt Schneider was favorably disposed to the idea of a town ordinance providing for the picking up of injured cats and other animals, Dog Warden George Mattegat showed up at Mr Schneider’s home. Mr Schneider said Mr Mattegat was upset that the council was trying to foist all kinds of stray animals on him, and concerned that the end result could be the town’s needing another building in addition to its canine control facility.

***

One hundred twenty-five members of the Newtown High School Bands attended the Fiesta-val, Invitational Festivals for Band And Orchestra competition in Virginia Beach earlier this month and came home winners. The Symphonic Band was awarded a first place trophy and superior rating plaque; the Concert Band was awarded a second place trophy and excellent rating plaque; the marching band was awarded a first place trophy and excellent rating in division 4. The trip was a substitute for the originally scheduled trip to Austria, postponed earlier this spring due to the rise in terrorist activities.

June 2, 1961

The work of altering the quarters on the first floor of the north wing of Edmond Town Hall, formerly occupied by the Newtown Post Office, was completed early this week and this space has now been made available for the selectman’s office and the office of the town building inspector.

***

The “Angel’s Studio Mill House,” located on Old Mill Road in Sandy Hook, has bee sold by the estate of the late John Angel, well-known sculptor of international fame. Mr and Mrs Elia Kazan are the purchasers. Mr Kazan, longtime resident of Newtown, is the theater director and producer of many hit movies and plays. The mill adjoins the pond and extensive property owned by Mr Kazan.

***

Another building addition, the third in five years, has been started at the Sandy Hook plant of S. Curtis and Son, Inc. The ground breaking last week was the first step in the construction of a two-story wing which will increase the packaging firm’s office space by 4,000 square feet.

***

Formal opening of the office of the Connecticut National Bank at 4 Queen Street in the Newtown Shopping Center took place on Monday. Townspeople in great numbers visited the building from 9 am to 9 pm, showing an interest which was most gratifying to the officers of the bank.

May 29, 1936

Sandy Hook Package Store: At The Cross Roads in Sandy Hook SPECIALS! CAVALIER GIN, 83 cents; MAC NIVENS SCOTCH, $2.43; HIRAM WALKER, $1.49; RAMRICO RUM, 96 cents; OLD MAST WINES, Qts., Muscatel, Port, Tokay, Sherry, 49 cents. A New Liquor Store Means New and Better Prices. Come and Make Us Prove It.

***

Additional patients are being received at the Fairfield State Hospital, at the rate of about 50 a week. They are coming here alternately from the Connecticut State Hospital at Middletown and the Norwich Hospital, until a total of 400 new patients have been added. Already about eighty new patients have been received.

***

John Bracken of Walnut Tree Hill was taken to Bridgeport hospital last Friday as a result of injuries received when a ditch in which he was working collapsed. Mr Bracken, an employee of the Varnello Construction Co., of New Haven, was digging a ditch six feet deep on the Botsford Hill road project, when the walls caved in, large rocks falling down and pinning him down.

***

The vocational agriculture boys of Newtown high school traveled to New Milford last Thursday, to take part in the annual Tri-Town Contest between the Vo-Ag departments of the New Milford, Woodbury and Newtown high schools. The Newtown boys did well, taking one first place, four second places, and only two third places.

 

June 2, 1911

Contractor George A. Northrop has the frame up and enclosed for the new building of the Newtown Coal & Grain Co, near the residence of Owen Burns, at the depot.

***

Mr and Mrs C.E. Tyler of Mamaroneck, N.Y., who own the Rolls Goodsell place in Palestine, met with a serious accident while here, last Sunday. They hired a team at a local livery in Bethel and drove to their summer home. When on their way back, they passed a large touring car. As the machine approached, the horse did not seem afraid, but just as the two vehicles were opposite each other, the driver of the auto opened the muffler to his engine, which so frightened the horse that Mr Tyler could not manage it and it ran up a bank, overturning the wagon, and throwing out both Mr and Mrs Tyler. The autoist did not stop. Mrs Tyler’s left leg was broken and she was badly shaken up. Mr Tyler was more seriously hurt. The horse kicked him in the face and head, breaking several bones in his face. They were taken to the home of Mr and Mrs Gannun, nearby. They were taken to the Danbury hospital, where Mrs Tyler is improving, but Mr Tyler’s condition is still critical. The horse escaped uninjured. The identity of the men in the touring car is not known.

***

Albert Blakesley was unfortunate enough to have a heavy stone roll down a bank on to him, bruising a leg badly. Dr W.H. Kiernan attended to his injuries.

***

Herbert W. Wright, a successful and popular farmer of South Center, is also an enthusiastic autoist. On Sunday he planned for a grand outing of visiting friends and his machine shone and flashed in the sunlight. The trip out was all right, but something went wrong and the machine wouldn’t budge an inch. He didn’t swear, but a friend heard him say, “By crackey, that does beat the dickens!” He went up through the lots for his horse, then retraced his steps, and unseen (he thought) drew his car through the lots back in triumph to his barn. We suspect that Neighbor Wright didn’t like to parade on the highway dragging in his car.